And Then...He Kissed Me
by Jamie Sommers
Summary: Companion piece to And Then...I Kissed Her. From Jamie's POV.
1. That Night

…And Then…He Kissed Me

By: Jamie Sommers

Email: jamiesommers23@hotmail.com

Rated: PG 13 (for language)

Synopsis:  Jamie Sullivan has been hurt in her efforts to help Landon with the school play and refuses to give him the time of day.  Landon Carter has been doing everything in his power to change her mind.  Will he?

Chapter 1:  That Night

'Well, Jamie…at least your leukemia hasn't gotten worse.  You can thank the play for that.  The play, Jamie?  Well, what else could it be?  Don't you mean WHO?  No.  Not who.  Definitely not who.' 

I continued walking towards the cemetery.  Normally I would drive there, but after my doctor's appointment today I felt the need to do some thinking.  If only I could stop thinking about Landon Carter.  

'He's not right for you, Jamie.  I know.  I know.  But he just seems so lost.  Like he really needs a friend and I'm not talking about the group of kids he hangs out with now, I'm talking about a real friend.  So is that what you want to be Jamie?  His friend?  Yes,' I tried convincing myself.  'Yes, that's what I want to be.  But is that ALL you want to be?'  As I walked into the gate of the cemetery I asked God to help guide me.  I had never had these kinds of feelings before.  I had been thinking about Landon for a while now—ever since that morning he showed up in church with the big white bandage on his head.  He was sitting there, looking so angry at the world, and when I looked at him I wondered how someone that was always surrounded by hordes of people could appear to be so lonely.

'God?  Why am I feeling this way about him?  What does it mean?  Does he feel the same way about m…'

"HEY!"

My heart jumped in my chest when I realized who it was…

##

'Is this really Landon Carter talking to me?  Spending the evening with me?'  I still couldn't believe it.  I was thoroughly surprised when I heard him call out to me tonight and even more surprised when he followed me into the cemetery.  But as he pointed out to me, I guess I really didn't know him all that well--I just thought I did--he had a lot of redeeming qualities about him, and a lot of not so redeeming qualities too.

"What is that?"

"That is my telescope. I built it when I was twelve.  Take a look."

"Saturn.  Very Cool."

"Yeah, I'm planning on building a larger one so I can see the comet Hiakutaki.  It comes this spring, but nobody knows when it's coming back."

"Ahhhh.  Nature's miracles.  I get it."  He was starting to fall back on those old qualities again.

"Get what?"

"That you're into all this stuff." _'Why do you do that Landon?  Why do you have to belittle something just because you're not into it.'_

"This stuff.  I have my beliefs.  I have faith.  But don't you?" 

"No.  There's too much bad shit in this world."

"Without suffering there'd be no compassion."

"Yeah, well tell that to those that suffer."

'You just did Landon…you just did.'

I wondered why he was still there with me.  'Don't you have somewhere else you should be Landon?'  It was all over school that afternoon that he and his friends were going to a striptease club located over the state line.  'You know Carter…I really thought you were better than that.'

"So why don't you try to convince me that I should believe in this shit?"

I looked at him wondering, 'you mean you'd actually give up watching women take their clothes off to learn about the stars…with me?  I'm game if you are…and relieved.'

I took out my book on constellations and decided to take a chance.  We laughed for a while about different things--Landon has a great sense of humor--then he asked me to find the Milky Way.

"Can you find that?"

"Sure."  I looked through my telescope and began adjusting the eyepiece until I got it into focus.

"I've always wanted to see that."  He was looking up at the sky and I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Landon?  Why is it I have this funny feeling that you know more about the stars than you're willing to admit?"

He just looked at me like I was crazy so I continued to make my point.  "Like during my Stars and Planets meeting you knew what a star frame was."

"Sixth grade science class.  We had that really fat guy with the wiry red hair."

"Mr. Halloran."

"Yeah, Halloran.  And he taught us how to make one and use it."

"He was the reason I got into astronomy.  He always made it seem so interesting, like there was something else out there, and I guess I just wanted to find out what it was."

"Yeah.  He made everything interesting.  He was a really good teacher.  I wonder what ever happened to him?"

"What'd you mean, 'what happened to him'?"

"Well, like is he still teaching, dead…whatever?"

"Well I can pretty much guarantee that he's not dead."

"How do you know?"

"Because he goes to church with us every Sunday."

"Oh.  Uh…I never noticed."

"You don't notice a lot of things Landon."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just think if you took a look around, you might actually see what's standing right before your eyes."  'I cannot believe you just said that Jamie.  Quick say something to make him think you weren't talking about you.'  "I mean…there could be a lot of wonderful things in this world that you're missing out on."  He just stood there looking at me…staring.  I swallowed hard and asked him, "Do you still want to see the Milky Way?"

"Yeah…sure."  He looked at me a little weird then looked through the eyepiece.  "Hey…that's kinda cool."

I watched him lean over and put his hand on the telescope to keep his balance.  'He's got beautiful hands.  No Jamie.  You cannot, I repeat cannot fall for this guy.  Why not?  WHY NOT???  Because your father would have a fit and…and…'  

"Hey, thanks for finding that.  It was pretty cool."

"Sure.  Anytime."  'Stop staring at his smile.  Stop it.'  "You know I should probably be getting home.  I normally don't stay out this late on a school night and I don't want my father to worry."

"Oh,"  'Is it just me or does he actually look disappointed?'  "Well…can I drive you home?"

'Where did that come from?  Landon Carter offering to take ME home?  My father wouldn't like that too much.  Yes, but you've already discussed with him the importance of you living your life the way you want and he agreed to let you make your own choices.  Yeah…as long as none of those choices include Landon Carter.'

"I don't know Landon…my father…"

"I'll drop you off down the block from your house.  He'll never even know that you were with me tonight."  

"Well…okay."  As soon as we got into his car I asked, "So is this your mom's car?"

"Yeah…mine kind of got messed up with…"  

"Oh, yeah…right."  _'Clay Gephardt.'_

The second he started up the ignition some loud music started blaring through the speakers.  "Oh," he pushed a button on the stereo and the music changed to the CD that I had loaned him, "sorry 'bout that."

"That's okay.  We don't have to listen to this if you don't want to, you know?"

"I don't mind."

"Yeah…but…I know you really don't like this type of…"

"No.  Actually…I kind of like it."

"You do?"

"Yeah, but don't go telling Jamie Sullivan about it or I'll never hear the end of it," he joked.

He stopped the car at the corner of my block--far enough away for my father not to see or hear his car, yet close enough for him to watch me walk home and he did.  He watched me walk.  I could feel his eyes on me as I made my way up the front stairs and turned when I got to the front door to look at him.  I smiled a 'thank you' to him as I went in for the night.  

"Jamie?  I was just about to go get you.  It's a school night young lady and you know I don't approve of you being out so late."

"Yes daddy," 'Was I still smiling,' I wondered.  "I'm sorry.  It won't happen again."  I kissed him goodnight and went up to bed.  'I can't wait for school tomorrow and I really can't wait for after school.'

Coming Soon…

Chapter 2


	2. Harsh Reality

…And Then…He Kissed Me

By: Jamie Sommers

Email: jamiesommers23@hotmail.com

Rated: PG 13 (for language)

Synopsis:  Jamie Sullivan has been hurt in her efforts to help Landon with the school play and refuses to give him the time of day.  Landon Carter has been doing everything in his power to change her mind.  Will he?

Chapter 2:  Harsh Reality

He really didn't acknowledge me in science or history class today.  He pretty much just kept with his crowd but that didn't surprise me too much, what surprised me came later in the day.  

"Hey Carter."  Normally I wouldn't stop to say hi to him, but after last night I figured it would be all right.  "So I'll see you after school today?"

"In your dreams."  Those words were like a knife slicing through my heart.  'I thought we were past this Landon.  I thought last night…'

I nodded at him to let him know I understood his meaning.  'It's cool if I spend time with you out of school, but not during school, and we definitely can't let your friends know, right Landon?  Fine.  If that's the way you want it.'

I walked down the hallway and proceeded to go to Drama, but decided to make a stop at the ladies room on the way.  I took off my backpack and leaned up against the cool tile wall.  'In your dreams.'  I kept hearing his cold, harsh words going through my head.  'Don't cry Jamie.  He's not worth it.  There was nothing there anyway.  Last night he was just being nice because no one else was around.'  It hurt to admit that.  To know that the only reason he stayed with me at the cemetery last night was because nobody knew he was with ME.  Tears started to well up in my eyes and I shook it off.  'No Jamie!  He is not worth crying over!  You don't care what those people think about you.  No, but you did care what Landon thought about you.'  

I shook off my tears and went to drama, by the end of class my hurt had developed into pain and anger.  I was no longer feeling upset that he humiliated me in front of his friends—I honestly couldn't care one way or the other what they thought of me—but I was so angry with him for saying those words and even more angry with myself for being wrong about him.  

##

"Hi daddy!"  I hadn't expected my father to be home today, he usually works in the afternoons, but ever since Landon had been coming over to run lines, he had been spending more and more time at home.  "What're you doing here?"

"Oh, there wasn't anything pressing to do at the church so I thought I'd come home early."

"Well this is a nice surprise," I brought my backpack upstairs, promising myself that I would do my homework later, right now I just wanted to spend some time with my father so I pushed Landon Carter to the back of my mind.

Daddy was reading his paper as I plunked out a few chords on the piano when the doorbell rang.  'I wonder who that is?'  I really had no idea.  Sometimes when daddy spent the afternoon at home instead of at the church Mrs. Otis would stop by with a plate of cookies or a cake and sit and visit for a while. 'Maybe it's her?'

I opened the door expecting to see a friendly face but instead I saw Landon Carter standing there with his foot in his mouth.  I closed the door on him.  'What in the world has come over you Jamie?  You've never been this rude to anyone in your entire life.  Stop pounding on the door, Landon!  Oh…you do NOT want me to answer!  Trust me.  FINE!  FINE!  You wanna talk…lets talk!'

I opened the door and came out onto the porch, my hands were balled up into little fists inside of my pockets, but I knew he could sense how angry I was. 

"Oh," he backed up. "You're not in a good mood."

_'Gee…what gave it away?'_ "You don't miss a thing." _'Just keep your cool Jamie.'_

"Listen Jamie, I was hoping we could run lines together."  

_'Was he kidding?'_  "Mmmmm. Okay but just not so anybody knows, right?"  _'That's it isn't it Landon?  Just say it.'_

"Well, I just figured we could surprise everyone with how good I get."

_'I can't believe he's saying this.  Can't you just apologize Carter?' _ "Like we could be secret friends."

"Exactly.  Exactly.  It's like you're reading my mind."

_'He really thinks I'm gonna go for this?' _ "Good.  Umm…maybe you could read mine?"  _'You hurt me Landon.  You insulted me, embarrassed me and humiliated me just so you wouldn't have to admit that we were becoming friends and I'm sorry…but you can't just trample on my feelings and expect me to take it.'_

"Jamie.  Jamie…I can't just be your friend…"  _'No…of course you can't.'_

I couldn't look at him anymore.  I was angry and put off and hurt, so hurt.  My disappointment in him was overwhelming.  "Landon look.  I thought I saw something in you.  Something good.  I was very wrong."

That time when I closed the door on him, my father was standing just inside and I knew he had heard every word.  From outside we could hear Landon scream out in frustration, my father immediately went outside to defend me.  I don't know what happened or what was said.  I went to my room, closed the door and fought off the tears.  I did a fine job of it too until he called.  

"Hey Jamie.  It's Lando…"  I didn't even let him finish.  I just hung up and the tears that I had fought so hard to keep at bay, burst through the dam and I sobbed into my pillow.  'I thought I found something in you Landon.  I thought you felt this too.  How could I have been so wrong?'

Coming Soon…

Chapter 3

For Landon's POV read his story entitled, "…And Then…I Kissed Her."


	3. ...Three Steps Back

…And Then…He Kissed Me

By: Jamie Sommers

Email: jamiesommers23@hotmail.com

Rated: PG 13 (for language)

Synopsis:  Jamie Sullivan has been hurt in her efforts to help Landon with the school play and refuses to give him the time of day.  Landon Carter has been doing everything in his power to change her mind.  Will he?

Chapter 3:  …Three Steps Back

As I stepped closer to the school bus I felt my heart beat faster and faster.  'Will you be here today?  Are you sorry about what you did?  What're you going to do when you see him Jamie?  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing. But what about forgiveness?  Forgiveness?'  I listened to my own words and realized that the right thing to do would be to forgive him for his mistake and put it behind me.  I continued to tell myself that very same thing as I took my seat on the bus next to Gina.

I fought off the urge to see if he was sitting in his usual seat, but something inside of me knew he was there and that he was watching me.  I heard his voice a few minutes after the bus was set in motion.

"Jamie…listen.   About yesterday.  I should've been straight with my friends, but…you know how it is?"

"No.  I don't.  Why don't you tell me how it is?  You know what Landon?  I think you said it all yesterday and I know I have nothing to say to you."  _'So much for forgiveness Jamie.'_  

"Jamie?"  His voice came out in a strangled whisper and it took everything in me not to turn to him and tell him that everything would be all right.  "Can't we talk about this?  Come on.  Please." He placed his hand on my arm and I could here his words echo through my ears, _'In your dreams.'_  "Jamie please?" 

_'I have nothing left to say to you Landon.  Not until you apologize and mean it.'_ I could feel my stare burning into his eyes.  He removed his hand from my arm and didn't bother me again for the rest of the ride.

Every week I watched him do the same thing over and over again with Luis and every week I watched Luis get no further with his tutoring.  Landon wasn't able to reach him.  _'Find another way Landon.  There has to be a way.  This is your last shot.' _ I noticed them leaving the building and after a minute or two my curiosity got the best of me…I had to know what they were doing--where they went. 

"Okay it's you…me…and the basket, we form the three corners of a triangle.  Now take a step towards the basket." I watched through the window as Landon took a step with him, "now I'm at the same angle to the basket as I was before?"

"Yeah."

"Are you?"

"Yeah."

"So what did we just make?"

"Uh…A similar triangle?"

"YESSS!  Yes.  Okay, make me an isosceles."  Again Luis moved to make the perfect formation and Landon praised him by forgetting about schoolwork for a while and playing some basketball.

_'I guess you found a way to back in, huh Landon?'_

He was on my mind all morning after that.  I began questioning myself again_.  'Maybe you weren't wrong about him?  Maybe there is something good inside of him?  Maybe you should forgi…  He's sitting in my seat.'  _Gina and I went to take our normal seats on the bus when I noticed him sitting there.

"Why don't we sit in the back Jamie?" Gina suggested and started making her way towards the back of the bus.  She didn't know exactly what had happened between Landon and myself, but she knew that there was something wrong.

"Actually…I was kinda hopin' you'd sit with me Jamie."

'Do you really want to make this that easy for him Jamie?  Well he did help Luis out.  Yes, but none of his friends were here today.  If I say yes Landon will we go back to you being ashamed to be seen with me?  Two words Landon…that's all it'll take.  Two words, I'm sorry.  Can you say that?'

"Please Jamie?" _ 'Wrong two words.'  _"Sit with me?"

 "I don't think that would be a very good idea."  _'I'm sorry Landon.  I just don't think I can trust you yet.'_

I took the seat next to Gina and began rehashing the past few days.  The more I thought about it the angrier I would get.  _'Why is this bothering you so much?  Why are you letting this get to you?'_  I decided that I would put it behind me once and for all.  _'Landon Carter has spent more time out of my life than in it so it'll be no problem for us to go back to the way things were before.'_  At least…that's what I told myself. 

##

We had play rehearsal that afternoon so Landon and I walked directly from the bus to the auditorium.  It was a little awkward, walking two feet in front of him without saying anything, but until he said he was sorry and meant it, I just couldn't excuse his behavior.

We tightened up our blocking, and all of us were prepared to do the run through without the aide of a script with the exception of Landon.  _'You should still be helping him Jamie, if only for the sake of the play.'_

At the end of rehearsal Sally came up to me and asked, "What is up with Landon today?  I mean hasn't he even picked up his script and tried to study his lines?"

"I don't know.  Why don't you ask him?"

She looked at me with a tilt to her head and asked, "Well…aren't you helping him run lines?"

"Not anymore."

"Why not?" I just shrugged my shoulders.  "Jamieeeeeee???" She whined.

I looked at her and sighed.  I really didn't want to tell her the truth--she had told me in the beginning not to help him--I really didn't feel like hearing _'I told you so,'_ but then I realized I needed to talk about this with someone.  I explained what had happened, what he had said to me by the lockers and I knew the minute I told her that it was a mistake.  By the time I got to play rehearsal the next day everyone knew about it, including Miss. Garber.  If I wasn't humiliated before, I certainly was now.

The play was less than two weeks away and Miss. Garber was holding rehearsals every afternoon after school, which was the only time Landon, and I would exchange dialogue…literally.  He no longer tried to talk to me; he barely noticed me and I wondered if I had made a mistake by pushing him away.  I saw him walking towards me in the hallway and we glanced at each other, any other day I probably wouldn't have turned, but I needed to know… _'Are you watching me too?' _ I turned around to see.  He wasn't.  He just continued walking down the hall with his back towards me.  _'Face it Jamie, you're not even a passing thought to him.'_

Coming soon…

Chapter 4:  Curtain Call


	4. Curtain Call

…And Then…He Kissed Me  
  
By: Jamie Sommers  
  
Email: jamiesommers23@hotmail.com  
  
Rated: PG 13 (for language)  
  
Synopsis: Jamie Sullivan has been hurt in her efforts to help Landon with the school play and refuses to give him the time of day. Landon Carter has been doing everything in his power to change her mind. Will he?  
  
  
  
Chapter 4: Curtain Call  
  
  
  
"Good afternoon Jamie. How're you feeling today?"  
  
"Pretty good Dr. Rosen. And yourself?"  
  
"I'm doing just fine. So…tonight's opening night, huh?"  
  
"Mmmmm hmmmm."  
  
"You nervous?"  
  
"A little."  
  
"Well don't be. I'm sure you'll do just fine."  
  
He began telling my father and I about my last blood test and said that so far everything looked fine. The leukemia wasn't getting any worse and neither was my anemia. "Looks like doing this play may have kept you healthier than we expected."   
_  
__'Yeah…right…the play.'__  
_  
The play was supposed to start at 8:00pm sharp but by the time I was done with my doctor's appointment it was getting close to 7:45pm and I hadn't even gotten my makeup done yet. When I got to the theater I immediately went to wardrobe and began getting ready. My eyes quickly scanned backstage for Landon, but I didn't see him. _ 'It's for the best Jamie. You need to keep your mind on the play not on Landon.'__  
_  
My first scene wasn't until the second act so I had about forty-five minutes to get ready and fortunately I had the aide of one of the parents, Mrs. Renfro.   
  
Miss. Garber came in during intermission and looked at me like she had never seen me before. "Oh my Jamie," she put her hands over her mouth. "You look breathtaking."  
  
_'Funny. I don't feel breathtaking. I feel nervous and excited and...,'_ then I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror, _ 'well…maybe a little breathtaking.'_ "Thank you Miss. Garber."  
  
It was the begininning of Act II so when the lights flashed it was time for everyone to take their places. Landon was already on stage with Sally and I was standing off side, waiting for my cue, Sally's last line.  
  
"That's it. We are through. Go ahead and run your booze ya big dope, and I hope you drown in it."   
  
I walked in with my cape draped over me so no one would recognize me. "Soooo? You must be the new girl he's hired. The singer? Want some free advice about this one? Stay far away he's nothin' but trouble and cheap spats."  
  
I listened as Landon said his next line, "See ya 'round kid."  
  
He was supposed to circle me and look me up and down, "Take your coat off and stay awhile."  
  
"I'm still a bit cold and wet from the rain."  
  
"Yeah…well…suit yourself. You wanna drink?"  
  
"No thank you."  
  
We began trading our lines back and forth and during each scene as more and more people from his club were to exit until it was just him and I left on stage.   
  
"Look, I ain't blaming ya. I'm not asking for forgiveness either." That was my cue to take off my cloak and drape it over the chair. "…just did what I had to do."   
  
I watched Landon lose his concentration when he saw me. He looked at me like he had that night we were in the cemetery together when I told him, _'I just think if you took a look around, you might actually see what's standing right before your eyes.'_ I began to wonder, _'Have you finally opened your eyes Landon?'__  
_  
"When you walked…outta the rain and into my club…that wasn't just a coincidence was it?"   
  
"Nothing's coincidence."   
  
"Your face. You look so familiar…like this dame I knew once only it wasn't real. It was a dream."  
  
"Tell me about this dream girl."   
  
"Well I don't remember…" he looked as though he forgot his lines. He glanced off stage then turned towards me and at that moment I knew Tom Thorton was no longer sitting across from Alicia, but Landon was sitting across from Jamie. "All I know…is that you're beautiful."   
  
I was lost. I didn't know what to say. I knew I had a line, but I just couldn't remember what it was.   
  
"The dream. Help me to remember. Will you sing for me?"   
  
As the music started I pulled myself out of the mist I was in and began singing. I pushed all thoughts of Landon to the back of my mind, _'you can't get distracted Jamie, you've got a play to finish.'_ I sang each line the way it was rehearsed, did each move the way Miss. Garber wanted it done, but every time I had to sit back down at that table and look across into his eyes…  
  
Memories of Landon sitting with me on my porch went through my mind, watching him tutor Luis, listening to his jokes while stargazing. _ 'You're in love with him Jamie. No. I can't be.' _ I was relieved when I finished my song and began moving back to my original position--sitting at the table across from him. I hummed the end of melody and the next thing I knew…he leaned over the table…and then…he kissed me.  
  
The applause started, the curtain closed, the lights went out and we didn't move. _'He kissed me. Say something. What am I supposed to say to someone that insulted me and still hasn't apologized for it? Maybe this is his way of saying he's sorry. Maybe he's trying to tell you he feels the same way about you. No Jamie. He doesn't feel the same way about you. He just got caught up in the moment of the play, that's all.'_ We just sat there looking at each other until Sally and Eddie came up to us and whispered that we had to take our places for the curtain call.   
  
##  
  
"Jamie! You were marvelous!"  
  
"Thank you Miss. Garber."  
  
"Wasn't she marvelous Reverend?"  
  
My father had a look of curiosity on his face. "Yes. Yes she was."  
  
Miss. Garber needed to remind me about a few other things for tomorrow night's final performance then my father and I left.  
  
"So…Landon did a fine job. I guess all your practicing really helped."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"I don't recall you ever practicing a kiss though…" The rest of his question went unfinished. I simply looked out the window of our car and shrugged it off.   
  
_'No daddy. We never practiced a kiss because there wasn't supposed to be a kiss. But there was tonight.'_ And I wondered, would he kiss me again tomorrow?  
  
##  
  
The audience started to arrive as I was getting ready for the show. My hair was curled, my costume was hanging up on a hanger against the wall and my make-up was being applied by one of the parents that volunteered to help with the production.   
  
She spoke of last night's performance, of my song and what a surprise Landon Carter turned out to be. "No one expected him to be so talented. I told my husband that he just had to come to tonight's performance to see you two…"  
  
_'Do you think he'll kiss you tonight Jamie? Do you want him to? I don't know.'_ I sat there as Mrs. Renfro applied my make-up and chatted away thinking about the conflicting emotions I had within me. _'You want him to kiss you and you know it. That's why you're so nervous. Do you think he wants to kiss you too?' _ On one hand I wanted nothing more than for Landon to lean over that table and kiss me again, but on the other hand I was still so angry with him. We had seen each other so many times since that fateful day by the lockers, but he still hadn't said he was sorry. In the beginning he just tried to blow it off like nothing happened, then we just went back to ignoring each other, now… _'He kissed you.'_ It all kept coming back to that kiss. _'Well…if he kisses you tonight then you'll know he really wanted to.'__  
_  
Mrs. Renfro was applying the finishing touches to my make-up as Miss. Garber entered the dressing room. "Jamie?"   
  
"Yes, Miss. Garber?"  
  
"Oh, dear you look lovely."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"I've already spoken to Landon about last night's rewrite and decided I really liked his little addition so we'll be leaving the kiss in at the end of your song."   
  
I'm sure she must've noticed the look of complete shock on my face. "Is that all right dear?"  
  
"Ummm…sure."  
  
She clapped her hands together and said, "Fabulous! Well, now all we have to do is pray that Landon doesn't forget his lines again. All though he did improvise very well last night, don't you think?"  
  
"Mmmmm hmmmm." My mind was drifting again, _'he's going to kiss you again tonight. He's going to kiss you.' __  
_  
Landon and I went through our scenes the way we had rehearsed and they went off without a hitch until the end of my song. As I began to hum the melody at the end, my stomach started churning. _'It's coming. This is it.'_ I waited but the kiss never came. He just sat there and looked at me and all my hopes came crashing to the ground. _'Now you know Jamie. He never wanted to kiss you. Even tonight when he was supposed to, he couldn't do it. So...now you know.' __  
_  



	5. A Friend In Need

…And Then…He Kissed Me

By:  Jamie Sommers

Email:  jamiesommers23@hotmail.com

Rated: PG 13 

Synopsis:  Jamie Sullivan has just been hurt in her efforts to help Landon with the school play.  Landon Carter has been doing everything in his power to change her mind.  Will he?

Chapter 5:  A Friend In Need

"He's watching you again."

"No he's not."

"Yes he is," Megan giggled.  "Landon Carter is staring at you like you were the only person in this room."

"Megan, knock it off.  He is not."

"Don't believe me?  Turn around and look for yourself."

I kind of took a sip out of my glass and lifted my eyes to his side of the room, 'Oh my gosh!  He is staring at me.'  

"See…I told you."

"Told me what?  He's not looking at me," I denied and glanced openly in his direction.  "He's talking to Miss. Garber.  He's not looking at me.  He's not."  'Who're you trying to convince Jamie?  Megan or yourself?'

"Sure Jamie.  And he's also not walking over here."

'WHAT??'  I choked on my punch.  

She giggled and said, "See ya later."

'Okay Jamie just stay calm.  You don't want to talk to him anyway.  Okay, so move.  I can't.  Why not??  Because…I don't know…I just can't.  You're waiting for him to talk to you.  No I'm  not.  I'm drinking my punch and eating my cookie.  Sure you are Jamie.'

"Hey."

'Okay…say something.'  "Hey."  'Now what Landon?  How are we going to play this tonight?'

"Pretty good punch, huh?"

"I guess."  'Why didn't you kiss me tonight Landon?'  I wanted to ask him so badly, but I just couldn't bring myself to so instead I started to walk away however, he kept me occupied until…

'How much more of this are you going to take Jamie?  How many more times are you going to let him hurt you?'  As I stood in the parking lot of the school's auditorium, I relived the end of mine and Landon's conversation within my head.

"Do you even know what happened between your parents?"

"All I know is that he stopped loving us."

 "One day you just might see things from his point of view."

"Yeah, well I wouldn't go holding my breath if I were you."  

"All I'm saying Landon is that in time…"

"Save it Jamie.  Until you go through losing a parent…"

I knew he didn't mean to say it intentionally, but it still hurt…bad.

"Jamie??"  I heard Miss. Garber calling out to me and I wanted nothing more than to pretend like I didn't hear her, but I turned around and faced her instead.  

"Oh, Jamie," she ran her thumb across my cheek and wiped off the tears that I hadn't known were there.  

"It must be hard sometimes, not having a woman around to discuss these things with," she obviously knew what was going on between Landon and me.  "Would you like to talk for a while?"

I couldn't find my voice so I nodded my head and we walked arm in arm around the school's campus.

"You know I lost my mother a few years ago.  It was one of the hardest things I had ever gone through.  In fact it's still very difficult when I think about it."

"I never knew my mother.  She died when I was born."

"Oh," she said softly.  "I'm sorry."

"It's okay.  It's just that sometimes it's hard when people…" I began crying again thinking about Landon's words.  I wanted to tell him, _'No Landon, I had never actually felt the pain of losing my mother because I had never known her, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.'_

"Is that why you're crying?  Because of your mother?"

I automatically shook my head 'no.'

"Is it because of Landon?"

There was no need for words.  I simply looked at her and she took my hands asking me, "Jamie.  What happened with Landon?"

_'Should you tell her everything or just about tonight?' _ I decided on tonight, "He just made a really stupid comment and it kind of hurt."

"What did he say?"

"He said that I didn't know what it was like to lose a parent."

"He did?  Why on earth would he say something like that?"

"Well, we were talking about his father and…"

"His father??," She interrupted.  "I find it hard to believe that Landon would bring up his father for no good reason, not after the way he turned his back on him last night."

"Well, _he_ didn't actually bring him up.  I did."

"Oh.  Well, perhaps it's hard for Landon to talk about him.  I realize that losing a parent to death is different than losing a parent to divorce, but it doesn't mean it's any less painful.  In fact…I bet in some ways it could be harder.  Just think about it.  What if your mother were alive yet you were still unable to see her?"

"But he _can_ see him.  That was my point."

"Yes, but does he _want_ to see him?  Put yourself in his place.  He was awfully young when his parent's split up, so I'm sure he's spent that entire time feeling as though he was part of the reason his father left."

"I don't see why?  I mean leaving a marriage and abandoning your child…it's two completely different things."

"Yes…to _you _because you're not in the middle of it."  She stopped walking and turned to face me.  "You say your mother died when you were born?"

"Yes."

"Did a small part of you ever feel as though it were your fault?"

"I suppose.  When I was younger, but now I know that I couldn't have controlled it."

"Yes…_now_ you know, but what about when you were a child?"

"Well, I used to think that if I wasn't born, then my mother would still be alive.  I didn't understand that she would've died from the aneurysm regardless of whether or not I was born."

"And how did you come to this realization?" We began to walk again.

"My father helped me to understand but mostly it was my faith in God."

"Ah, your faith.  There are a lot of people in this world that have never experienced faith.  You're one of the lucky ones."  

We talked for a while about my faith, my beliefs.  We talked about school, about life…death.  It was during our conversation that I realized Miss. Garber knew about my health.  "Who told you?"

"Told me what, dear?"

"About my leukemia?"

"Oh, that.  Your father thought it best that I knew about it to make sure I kept an eye on your health during some of our late rehearsals.  He never meant to betray your trust, he just wanted to…"  
  


"It's okay.  I don't mind."  _'You knew this whole time and you never once treated me differently.  Thank you.'_

"May I ask you about it?"

"Sure."

We discussed my failing health and some of the options that were out there for treatments.  I assured her that we had looked into everything, exhausted every last resource and that there was nothing that could save me now except for a miracle.

As she walked me back to my car she said, "Jamie, there are many children…adults even that still have a hard time coping with their parents decision to divorce.  Somewhere in the back of their mind they always wonder, 'if I had picked up my bedroom a little more,' or 'if I had just behaved when they told me too…' They don't understand that it had nothing to do with them.  I have to imagine that it must be hard to be a child of divorce."

_'I had never thought of it that way before.'_  "I suppose you're right.  I probably shouldn't have brought it up to begin with."

"Why _did _you bring it up Jamie?"

"I don't know.  Just _because_ I guess."

"Is it possible that you _wanted_ to hurt Landon?"  
  


"NO.  I wouldn't do that."  _'At least I don't think I would do that.'_

"Well it just seems to me that you and he have been at odds with each other for a few weeks now and I'm just wondering why that is?"

"You mean you haven't heard?  I thought it was all over the school by now."

"Well, I've heard what's been going around, but I'd like to hear _your _version of it."

I explained how Landon had asked me for help with his lines and how we began to build a friendship with one another.  "He made me feel special, like he actually cared about me, about what I thought…my beliefs, then he proved me wrong."  Explaining that scene by the lockers to her hurt even more than it had the day it happened.  "I never expected him to say anything so spiteful, but he did and he still hasn't apologized for it."

"He hasn't?  Really?  Considering I see him using any excuse he can muster up just to be in the same room as you…"

"Well it's true, he's never apologized.  I mean…he's tried talking to me, but he's never actually said the words, I'm sorry."

"Oh…so it's the _words _you're waiting for."

"What else would I be waiting for?"

"Have you ever heard the saying, actions speak louder than words?"

"Yes, but…"

"Well has Landon made any attempts to mend things between you?  Has he tried to _show_ you that he's sorry?"

"Sort of."

"For example?"

"He tried talking to me the day after it happened while we were on the bus to Jefferson.  He was even waiting for me in my usual seat on the ride back and asked me to sit with him," for some reason I was smiling at the memory of him sitting there with that petrified look upon his face.  "And he _has_ tried talking to me on a few other occasions, but for some reason we always seem to…" I let out a deep breath, "…I don't know, it's like he brings out the worst in me."

"Yes, men have a tendency to do that.  Especially the man you're in love with."

"Oh, I'm not in love with him," I denied a little too quickly reminding myself, _'You know it's a sin to lie.'_

"Of course you aren't.  I'm just saying that one day, when you _do_ fall in love, you'll see that it's the people that mean the most to you that can cause you the most pain.  You know another saying comes to mind."

"What's that?"

"You always hurt the one's you love."

 On my way home I decided to stop by the cemetery for a while.   I glanced at the clock on the dashboard of my car and noticed that it was a few minutes before midnight.  _'It's late Jamie.  You should really be going home.  That would be the smart thing to do.'  _But something--I couldn't put my finger on it--was pulling me to the cemetery.  As I parked my car, I could've sworn I heard the roar of Landon's engine in the distance.  _'Great.  Now you're hearing his car Jamie.'_


	6. Gifts Of The Heart

…And Then…He Kissed Me

By:  Jamie Sommers

Email:  jamiesommers23@hotmail.com

Rated: PG 13 

Synopsis:  Jamie Sullivan has just been hurt in her efforts to help Landon with the school play.  Landon Carter has been doing everything in his power to change her mind.  Will he?

Chapter 6: Gifts Of The Heart 

His presence was everywhere to me and I didn't want him there.  He was on my mind constantly.  _'Go away Landon!  Just go away.' _ As I bent down to look through my telescope I could smell remnants of his distinctive scent floating through the air as though he were just there. _ 'Landon why is this happening to me?  You're not in love with me.  You don't even like me.  Yet somehow I can't help but wonder…' _I looked at the Milky Way and remembered the first night we were together in the cemetery, the night before it all went downhill.  _'We were really making a connection that night.  Why did you throw it away Landon?  But Jamie, he's tried to get it back.  I know…don't remind me.'_  It was tough coming to the realization that the only reason Landon and I weren't talking anymore was because of me.  It was my choice.  Something inside of me wanted to punish him for the way he treated me.  _'Maybe Miss. Garber was right.  Maybe you hurt him intentionally tonight when you brought up his father.'_  I made a decision, _'Tomorrow…if you talk to me tomorrow in church I won't walk away.  I'll try to listen and I'll try not to let this bother me anymore.'_

##

I watched him take his seat in his regular pew out of the corner of my eye.  He was staring at me.  _'Don't look at him.  Don't look Jamie.'_  I was doing really well until I started singing and then…it was like there was some kind of hidden message in my song this morning.  I had rehearsed twice this week with the choir, but the words never really hit me until I glanced down at Landon and saw the look on his face.  He was taking measurement of his life.  I could see it on his face.  

My father began his sermon and I watched Landon lift his eyes to the ceiling as though saying a silent prayer.  He moved his lips every now in a private conversation and continued to look upwards.  _'Are you talking to God Landon?'_ I wondered.  His eyes met mine and he smiled.  I shook my head trying to pull myself out of this dream state I was in_.  'Stop it Jamie.  Don't make him think that you want to apologize to him.  You don't.  You don't feel bad about the way you've been treating him.  Yes…you do.' _ I looked back over to him intending on giving him a reassuring smile, but he was busy smiling at someone else.  Belinda.  _'You should've known Jamie.  It's still the same old Landon.  So much for changing.'_

##

My morning appointment with the doctor went well but I got to school later than I had expected.  I was supposed to go to gym, but I had decided to go to my other classes first to pick up the work that I had missed that morning.  I was getting ready to walk out onto the field when I saw Landon walking away.  _'Wonder what he's doing here?  Probably looking for Belinda,'_ I reminded myself.  

##

As I sat at the lunch table reading To Kill A Mockingbird, he came up and just sat down like he was supposed to be there.  I wanted to say_, 'what's wrong?  Belinda busy?'_  But instead I said, "People can see..."

"And that would ruin your reputation how?" he countered.  "What's that?"  He made a gesture with his chin towards my book.

As much as I promised myself that I would try not to let him get to me, the vision of him smiling at Belinda just festered within me, so I did what every typical teenage girl should do when that happens, I ignored him.  I lifted up my book in order to let him read the title as if saying_, 'I'm not putting this down so you might as well leave.'_  and then completely contradicted myself by speaking to him.  "I'm reading all the books on Mr. Rothman's list of contemporary American authors."

"And how many books are there?"

"A hundred, but then there's his British list and his European list."

'Great Jamie.  Now you're having a conversation with him.  Knock it off' 

"So is this all on your list?  To read all these books?"  

I sipped the remnants of my juice box ensuing a slurping noise, _'I'm ignoring you Landon.  Go away.'_

"Jamie…I'm trying here okay.  Maybe…maybe I miss spending time with you.  Maybe you inspire me."

_'Inspire you?  To do what?  Make Belinda jealous?'_  "Sounds like bull!"  

"Which part??"

"All of it."

"Well it's not."

"Prove it."  My reaction surprised me just as much as it surprised him. _'I can't believe this.  He is just like he used to be.  I was so sure he had changed.  No Jamie…you hoped. Well I was so wrong.  He's just as much of a…Why are you following me??  What don't you understand here Landon?'_

"Jamie!!  Jamie!!"  He called out as he ran down the stairs catching up to me.

"You don't know the first thing about being someone's friend!" I yelled over my shoulder.

"I don't wanna just be your friend!"

"You don't know what you want."  I kept walking towards my car.  _'I can't deal with this right now. I just can't…'_

"Neither do you.  Maybe you're just too scared that someone'll wanna be with you."

That did it.  He stopped me dead in my tracks with that comment.  I turned to face him and said, "And why would that scare me?"  

"Because then you wouldn't be able to hide behind your books or…uh..uh..uh…your frickin' telescope or your faith."

_'You think you know me so well don't you Landon??'_  I thought as I turned to head to my car.

"No. No," he put his hand on my shoulder to stop me from leaving.  "You know the real reason why you're scared?"  His face was just inches from mine.  He was breathing like a steam engine – in little puffs.  "Because you wanna be with me too."

_'No.  No I don't.  I can't.'_  I turned and went to my car as quickly as I could.  _'This is not happening!  I do not need this!'_ I couldn't face him in my afternoon classes.  I couldn't bear to see him right now.  I just had to get as far away from him as possible.

I drove home and went straight to my room allowing thoughts and images of him to parade through my mind.  I pictured him just the few short weeks ago looking so forlorn, having been sentenced to custodial duties as penance for his crime the night that Clay was injured.  I thought of the many times we had talked and laughed when he would come over to my house to run lines together.  The night in the cemetery when he gave up being with his friends to learn about Cassiopeia.  The day after when he hurt me.  Until finally my thoughts settled on the kiss.  I could never forget the feeling of his lips pressed up against mine, even if it was only for the briefest second…it still took my breath away.  

I lied back against my mattress and buried my face in my pillow letting the tears out.  All the frustrations of these past few weeks were finally being washed away. 

I was awoken, a few hours later, by the pounding on my front door.  My first thought was, _'please God, don't let it be Landon.' _ When I answered it and saw Miss. Garber standing on my porch, my second thought was, _'Why Lord couldn't it have been Landon?'_

"Hi Miss. Garber.  Is everything all right?"  She had a look of concern written across her face.

"Actually that's why I'm here.  To find out if you're doing all right.  I was a bit worried about you."

"Me?  Why?  I'm fine." I honestly had no clue why she would be worried about me.  My health was doing just fine.

"Landon came by the drama class today looking for you.  He said that he really needed to talk to you."

"Oh," this was a surprise.  He was actually looking for me.  _'Well…here I am Carter.'_

"He said that the two of you had gotten into a little spat."

"Hmmm…" I just looked away.  _'A little spat?  That's what he calls a little spat?'_

"Jamie? Do you mind if I come in?"

"Oh, sure," I gestured for her to come into the living room.  "Come on in.  Would you like a beverage?"

"No thank you.  I'm fine."

"Okay."  I sat on the edge of the sofa wondering what it was that was so important, that a teacher was making a house call.  "Miss. Garber, what did you want to talk about?"

She took a deep breath and let it out in a rush of air.  "Do you love Landon?"

"What??  No," I shook my head emphatically denying any ounce of emotions that I might have had for Landon Carter.  "No…no…definitely not.  No way. I don't love him.  I don't.  Don't."

"Well you seem awfully sure of that."

My chin jutted forward and I said, "I am," with an overly stated amount of gusto.

"Mmmmm hmmmm.  Do you know that he's crazy about you?"

"Miss. Garber…" I began denying it.  Began shaking my head and saying no, he doesn't, but she put her hand on my leg and started talking to me in a hushed tone that captured my attention.

"I remember the first time I saw James.  He was so handsome.  So sure of himself.  He was the typical captain of the football team, always dating the head cheerleader kind of guy.  You know the type?" Her rhetorical question hung in the air between us. "But…one day," she smiled a soft and delicate smile. "We got assigned to be partners in a science project.  I can't even remember what it was we were supposed to do anymore.  Anyway…we had to spend quite a bit of time together after school on it and during that time we got to know one another pretty well.  We became friends.  Which really surprised me considering I was nowhere in his league.  You see Jamie; I was sort of a wallflower in high school.  Yet we still found ourselves becoming friends.  We didn't have lunch together or talk during the school day, it was an unspoken understanding that he had his friends and I had mine, but after school…during our 'study time' we would just talk and talk.  We kept putting off our project until the last minute.  Both of us knew that once it was done there would be no reason for us to spend time together.  No reason at all except…" she lifted her teary eyes to mine and said, "…we fell in love.  We both knew it, but neither one of us admitted it.  I couldn't stand to think of my life without him.  He just made me feel so special, so beautiful.  When we turned in our project I was hoping he would say something to me.  Ask me out or even to study, anything.  I just wanted to spend time with him, but he didn't.  He went back to his life and I went back to mine.  We'd see each other in the hallway and glance as the other walked by, both of us wanted to stop and say hi, how are you?  I miss you.  But neither one of us had the guts.  It was when we got our grades back for our project that we started socializing.  Not in a boyfriend/girlfriend sort of way, but just as friends.  We would stop and say hi to each other from time to time and he would give me a ride home every now and then.  We were leading up to something more and I knew it.  Deep in my heart I knew it.  Then one afternoon I was walking through the hallway and he stopped me.  I was beaming.  Just looking at him gave me goose bumps.  He leaned down and sort of whispered, 'can we go somewhere and talk for a minute?  I wanted to ask you something?'  Well, as you can imagine I was more than willing to go with him wherever he wanted me to.  We walked around the campus and sat on the bleachers and he said to me, 'There's this girl I like and I wanted to ask her out, but I don't know if she'll go with me.  So I was wondering…could you give me a hand?  Maybe tell me a few things that girls like so I can impress her a bit first.'  My only advice was to him was to be yourself.  Just be yourself and I know she'll fall for you.  The next day at school my friend Stanica came running up to me and said, he's going to the prom with Nicole.  I was lost.  I had no idea what she was talking about.  She couldn't have been talking about James.  There was no way.  Not after what we had shared the day before.  But she was in fact talking about him.  James had asked Nicole to go to the prom…or so I thought.  I stopped speaking to him immediately.  I didn't say two words to him in the hallway or anything.  Whenever he would talk to me in class I would just ignore him or say something short and clipped.  He had hurt me and I wanted him to know it.  The day before prom we were both in the nurse's office and he looked at me and smiled.  I always melted when he smiled at me that way.  He asked me who I was going to the prom with and I said that I wasn't going.  He wanted to know why not and I just shook my head.  'No reason,' I said.  I couldn't let him know that I had been waiting for him to ask me. He looked down at his feet and then over to me and Jamie…I felt the whole world stop for just one moment.  I could feel every bit of love and emotion from his look.  He leaned over and placed a kiss on my cheek and said that he was really sorry that he had said yes to Nicole when she asked him to the prom because he wanted to ask me to go, but he didn't think I would say yes.  You see he had tried to talk to me about it the day Nicole asked him, but I had already made up my mind to be angry with him and I never gave him a chance.  Had I, he would've asked _me_ instead of saying yes to Nicole," She smiled a soft smile and ran her hand behind her ear tucking in a few loose strands.  "He drove me home that afternoon and told me he'd see me again tomorrow, but…"  I saw her swallow the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat as her eyes filled with tears.  "…there was a car accident and…he didn't make it," she whispered hoarsely.  

"I'm sooooo sorry Miss. Garber.  So sorry."

"It's all right Jamie. It was a long time ago, but I do miss him," she took my hands and held them tightly.  "Jamie, I wasted so much time by not giving him a chance.  If I had only put my foolish pride behind me James and I could've shared some wonderful moments together.  Now all I have are memories of what could've been.  You of all people should know that life is too short to waste it."

I looked at her and felt a feeling of remorse surge through me.  _'What did I do?  I've treated Landon so badly these past few weeks.  So badly.  How will I ever get him to forgive me?'    
  
_

"What should I do?  I mean…"

"Nothing.  You don't have to do anything but give him a chance.  Jamie you have feelings for him and he for you.  Enjoy them.  Enjoy each other."  She patted her hands down on her legs and said, "Well…I've got to be going."  She turned to me on the porch and asked, "Will I see you tomorrow in school?"

"Yes.  I'll see you tomorrow."  I smiled as I made my silent vow, _'No more running from my feelings for him.  No more hiding from his feelings for me.  I'm sorry Landon.  Sorry for the way I've been treating you.  We'll be better tomorrow.  I promise.'_

##

As I walked across the campus towards the school I saw him sitting in his customary spot on the bench with the rest of his friends.  I didn't go out of my way to say hi to him, I wasn't about to set myself up for disappointment again, but he did say hi to me.  It wasn't much but it was enough to get his friends to give him that…look.  I could hear Dean saying something offhanded to him as I walked away and then lifted my lips in a grin as I heard Landon's 'knock it off Dean,' in response.

'_Well today was interesting.  Yeah…interesting is a good word,'_ I thought to myself as I tried to read the same paragraph over and over again.  _'He actually spoke to me while he was with his friends and he waved to me at lunchtime.  Things are actually looking up here Jamie.'_  I thought of how handsome he was today, his crooked grin that would turn my stomach into quaking jelly, the sound of his laugh that caused goose bumps on my arms.  The way he walked, the sound of his voice, the way his lips moved when he said certain words, the flirtatious twinkle he always seemed to have in his eyes, his cologne, his…

"You."  _'I was just thinking about you.'_

"Me."

He held out a shopping bag towards me and I asked, "What is it?"

"I got you something."

He held out the bag again and this time I took it and said, "Thank you."  I could feel myself start to smile.

"Well…I'll see ya at school."

I knew he wasn't saying that as a casual gesture, it was his way of asking if things were all right between us.  I nodded my head and said, " 'kay."  

As I opened up the bag to see what was inside--my pulse was pounding in anticipation--my father came out on the porch.  I wasn't really listening to his and Landon's conversation; I was too enamored with my gift.  It was beautiful, soft to the touch and…well it made me giggle just imagining him buying it for me.  _'He actually bought me something.  Oh Landon…I guess you're forgiven.' _

"Jamie," my father sat next to me with a look of major concern on his face.  "Boys like that," he pointed out towards the area in which Landon had just left, "they have…they have expectations." 

I really wasn't sure what it was my father was so distraught about.  He began to lecture me as though I had done something wrong.

"You know the rules around here are not going to change."  

I could hear his unfinished thoughts in my head.  _'The rules around here are not gonna change because you're dying.'_

"Fine."

"You know you might not care what I say or think, but you should care about God's opinion."

_'God's opinion?'_  "I think he wants me to be happy."  In fact I was sure of it.  As I smiled I could see the fear in my father's eyes_.  'Come on dad, it's not like I'm gonna run off and marry the guy.'_  I tried to help relieve a little of his worries.  "Dad, it's just a sweater.  I'm gonna go make us some dinner, okay?"  I leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek.  _'Don't worry daddy.  I know what I'm doing.'_


	7. The Fight For Friendship

…And Then…He Kissed Me

By: Jamie Sommers

Email: jamiesommers23@hotmail.com

Rated: PG 13 (for language)

Synopsis:  Jamie Sullivan has been hurt in her efforts to help Landon with the school play and refuses to give him the time of day.  Landon Carter has been doing everything in his power to change her mind.  Will he?

Chapter 7:  The Fight For Friendship

_'Do I wear it or don't I?  Well you probably should wear it.  He did buy it for you.  Yes he did and wearing it would most likely let him know you've forgiven him, but it's so pretty…too pretty for school.  Okay, then church on Sunday.  Wear it to church on Sunday.'_  With my decision made I laid the soft pink garment carefully across my bed and headed to school.  _'Just three days…three days 'til Sunday.'_  I was beaming on the way out the door. _'This is going to be a great day.'_

##

"Why is everyone looking at me weird today?"

"Huh?"

I looked at Sally and asked again, "Haven't you noticed.  Ever since we left the gym people keep looking at me like I've got two heads or something."

"I really haven't noticed a thing."  

"Hmmmm.  Are you sure?  I mean…look," I whispered to her, "everyone keeps turning and staring at me."

"Jamie, it's just your imagination.  Well I've gotta go.  I'm meeting Brandon by the bleachers.  He's so cute.  Gosh I hope he asks me out."

I couldn't help but smile at Sally's enthusiasm and envied her excitement.  "Okay…see ya later."

I continued to walk down the hall towards the lunchroom yet I still felt like there was something wrong.  _'Something's going on here. People are really acting weird today and this is **not** my imagination.'_

"Jamie!"

_'Belinda.'_

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Listen…I just want you to know…no hard feelings.  Landon and I are waaaaay over."

"I really don't know what you're talking about."  I wondered did she know about the sweater. _ 'Could Landon have told her about it?  Was he just giving it to me to make her jealous?  No.'   _Somewhere inside I knew the answer to that was no.  _'Was I that obvious?  Could she sense how I was feeling about him?'_

"Jamie.  You'd be so beautiful if you knew how to do your make-up."

I wondered, _'is this Belinda?  Why is she being nice to me?'_

"Come on.  Eat lunch with me," she grabbed my hands and began to lead me into the cafeteria.

I couldn't believe this.  Did she really want to make amends?    "Okay."  

"Do you want a tic tac?"

"No thank you."

"Okay."

This whole thing seemed surreal to me.  I wasn't sure where to go or what to do.  I knew where they normally ate and it was nowhere near my table.  I never really socialized with anyone during lunch.  Sally usually met up with other friends or lately Brandon, and I really didn't have a bunch of people beating down my door to be my lunch date.  We walked up to her table and I noticed once again that people were gawking at me, but now…they were laughing too.  _'What's going on?  Why is everyone looking at me?'_

"Wow. Is this you?"  Belinda held out a piece of paper with a photo on it.  "Nice bod."

I stared at it in disbelief.  They had taken my face and superimposed it on the body of… I can't even describe what she was.  

I looked around at my peers--people that I had known my whole life that knew me--wondering what was it I did to deserve this.  What had I done to cause such hatred and contempt within them?  For years they had laughed at me behind my back and I never let it get to me, I never let them see me cry, but this time…_'this can't be happening to me.'  _I looked around as more and more of them laughed.  _'That's not me!  Why are you doing this?  What did I ever do to you?  What did I do??'_  I had to get out of there.  Humiliation and embarrassment were coursing through me, but the moment I turned to flee, he was right there to catch me.  _'Landon.'_

"Whoa," he just held onto me, his hands rubbing gently up and down my back, and I felt safe, protected, like no one was going to hurt me. "Look.  This is about me okay, this is not you."  

I nodded at him, my voice unable to reply.  I wasn't sure what he was going to do, how he was going to handle it.  All I could do was stand there in shock.  I could still see my face on that woman's partially clothed body.  It was an image I was sure I would never be able to forget.

"Stay here," his bag dropped, he walked up to Belinda and snatched the flyer out of her hand not even glancing down at it.  Without breaking stride he proceeded to Dean and handed the picture over to him, briefly looking down at it.

"Hey man.  Now I know why you've been keepin' her locked up.  I had no idea that this was underneath all that," he gestured towards me and I could feel my stomach churn with disgust.  His laughter sent chills down my spine.

I watched as Landon shoved him--a warning--then the commotion began.  Dean pushed back, Tracy interfered, someone else tried desperately to break it up and then…  One minute Dean was telling Tracy to stay out of it and the next he was cradling his jaw.  Landon's rage had taken over; I could see it in his face.  I flinched when I heard his fist connect with Dean's face and stood there transfixed…shocked.  _'He's fighting for you Jamie.'_

Dean started screaming, telling them that their friendship was through, but Landon…Landon didn't seem to care one bit.  "That's great." 

As I stood there with my arms to my sides, Landon walked back to me.  I felt him encompass my face, cradling my cheeks in the palms of his hands, he whispered, "You alright."

Too shocked to answer I just nodded.  

"Let's get the hell out of here."

He grabbed a hold of our belongings and wrapped his arms around me, walking me out of the cafeteria, through the crowded hallway and out of the school.  I could feel people's eyes focusing on us.  Their stares were burning into my back, I just knew it, but none of that mattered.  Not anymore.  My tears were silent, but painful.  This hurt…it was too much to describe.  The intensity of the pain was so great.  My body quaked beneath his touch.  Chills were shooting through the marrow of my bones.  _'Were these people really this spiteful?  All of this because Landon and I had become friends.  All of this because…'_

"Baby, baby.  I'm sorry.  Okay?  They're animals alright?"  I could feel his hand smoothing down my hair in a comforting touch.

_'It's okay…just get me out of here Landon.'_  I couldn't speak.

"You want me to take you home?"

_'Yes,'_ I nodded.

"Let's get outta here."

My heart was racing as he drove down the streets of Beaufort.  I looked around at the homes of my fellow neighbors.  Saw cars that looked familiar.  Elderly women sitting on their porch swings, while their husbands mowed the lawn.  We passed a few homes of fellow parishioners and went by a house I knew too well.  A house I had never been inside of, but I knew what went on within those walls, who lived there and now I knew just how much hate festered within him.  I gazed upon Dean's home as Landon drove by and asked myself once again, what it was that I had done to deserve such cruel treatment from him and his cohorts.  My eyes caught a glimpse of Landon's profile when it finally dawned on me what it was I had done.  What I had taken from them.  _'You.  I took you didn't I Landon?'_  

We sat in his car directly in front of my house when he turned his head towards mine.  Our eyes met and in an instant my tears dried up, my pain melted away.  His smile reassured me that things would be okay.  I had never cared what people thought about me before so why start now.  We sat there just looking at one another until the sound of his voice broke us out of our spell.  

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Mmmm hmmm.  I'm fine, but thank you for everything," I smiled.

"No," he shook his head, "you're welcome." 

Unsure of what to do next I made an instantaneous decision to exit, but as I reached for the door's handle he stopped me.

"Hey…ummm…I wanna ask you something," he smiled nervously.

"Okay," I sat back listening intently, intending on giving him my full attention.

I watched his face turn from nervous to gentle, kind…loving.  "Will you go…out with me…on Saturday night?"

_'What?  What do you tell him Jamie?'_  I opted for the truth.  "I'm sorry…I can't go."  Telling him 'no' hurt me.  I had been waiting for him to tell me his true feelings for so long, to show me how he felt and now that he did, I had to turn him away again.

"Oh…um…" we both looked away from each other, "…you've got something else going on?"

"No…nothing.  Not that." I shook my head.  I had to tell him the real reason; I had to tell him about my father's rules…my cancer.

"Then what is it?"

_'What do you tell him Jamie?  Landon, if I said yes then we'd start something I would never be able to finish.'_  My father's rules in regards to dating, were embedded in my mind.  His words ringing through my ears, _'You know the rules around here are not going to change.'_  I took a deep breath, attempting to steady my rapid pulse and told him.  "I'm not allowed to date."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry Landon."

"No…no…it's okay.  I should've known…I mean if you were allowed to date then you probably would've been going out with Eddie or something…"

"No.  No.  Eddie and I we're just friends.  Nothing more."  I smiled at him knowingly.  _'It's not because of someone else Landon.  I want to go with you more than you know.'_  "I suppose I should be going…"

"Yeah…sure." 

We smiled at each other and I reached once again for the door's handle only to be delayed by his voice one more time.  "Uh…Jamie?"

"Yes," my tone was barely audible.

"I…uh…well," he looked down into his lap then back up at me. "Nothing," he choked.  "It was nothing."

"Okay," I sighed.  For the final time I turned to open the car door and stepped out onto the street.  "Thanks again Landon…for everything," I said as I hunched down to look into his car.

"Wait," he jumped out of the car and walked briskly around to my side of the car.  "I'll walk you to your door," he took hold of my books and closed his car door behind me.  

We walked up the path silently, each step we took was one step closer to goodbye and neither one of us wanted that moment to come.  I was tempted to ask him to stay, but my father would be home soon and I had enough explaining to do already.  We stood facing each other on my porch--it reminded me of the last time he had been there--when he had asked me to run lines with him…to be his secret friend.  The corners of my lips lifted in a grin.  _'Things have certainly changed since then.'_

"You know what I was thinking?" he asked.

I shook my head as if saying, _'no.'_

"I was just thinking about the last time I was here," he looked down at his shuffling feet and tilted his head to the side.  "You weren't too happy with me that day."

My grin broke into a full-blown smile, "no I wasn't."

We both started speaking at the same time.

"Landon…I…"

"Look Jamie…I'm…"

Our nervous laughter seemed to vibrate through the breeze.

"You first," he said.

"I just wanted to say that…" I looked down and tried to figure out what to say to him, how to say it.  I took a deep breath and began to speak softly.  "If I **_were_** allowed to date…" I lifted my eyes to his and told him with as much emotion as I could, "I would've loved to go out with you on Saturday night."  I knew he wanted to tell me something too, but he just stood there staring at me. 

His eyes were gleaming, his lips barely parted as he took a step towards me.  His fingers slowly entwined with my own, both of us looked down at our joined hands and smiled.  "Jamie," he sighed as he took another step towards me.  

I could feel his breath stirring against my skin, my pulse racing.  Our fingers were holding on for dear life.  Just one more step and he would be kissing me.  _'Finally,'_ I thought.  _'Finally.'_

"Jamie??  What's going on here?"  We jumped apart and stared dumbfounded at my father's penetrating gaze.  "Mr. Carter?  Why aren't you two in school?  What's going on…"

"Daddy.  Wait…I can explain."

"Well you had better explain."

"Sir it's not Jamie's fault…it's my…"

"No Landon.  It wasn't your fault," my eyes began to dart back and forth between him and my father.

"Well somebody better tell me what's going on here."

I looked at Landon and said quietly, "maybe you should go?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes.  I'm sure."  _'I can do this Landon.  I'll be fine.'_  

"I'll see you tomorrow?" This question meant so much more than what he asked and we both knew it.

"Yes."

His grin lit up his face, "tomorrow…I'll see you tomorrow."  He turned towards my father and said with a quick nod, "Reverend."

My father watched him bounce down the stairs and head to his car, his eyes never leaving him until his vehicle was completely out of sight.  He turned towards me, the anger apparent in his eyes, and began to point towards the spot that Landon had just vacated.  "I warned you about…"

"Daddy before you start will you please listen to me?"  I looked at him, practically begging him, "Please?  Let's just sit down and talk, okay?"


	8. Love Is On The Way

…And Then…He Kissed Me

By: Jamie Sommers

Email: jamiesommers23@hotmail.com

Rated: PG 13 (for language)

Synopsis:  Jamie Sullivan has been hurt in her efforts to help Landon with the school play and refuses to give him the time of day.  Landon Carter has been doing everything in his power to change her mind.  Will he?

Chapter 8:  Love Is On The Way

"Hey Jamie!"

"Landon!  Hi."  A chill shot up my spine when I heard him call my name.

"Uh…hi," he practically ran up to me in the hallway.  "Where you off to?"

"Um…gym.  What about you?"

"I've got study hall."  He stood there shuffling his feet back and forth until finally he asked, "Mind if I walk you to class?"

"Oh…sure."  _'Landon Carter wants to walk me to class.  Wow.'_

We walked across the campus at a slow pace barely saying a word to each other.  I started veering off towards the baseball diamond when he said, "Don't you have to suit up?"

"Oh…no.  I'm not participating today."  _'What're you going to say when he asks you why?'_

" 'kay.  Why not?  Don't you like playing ball?"  

"Actually I really like baseball.  Well…I think I like it…I'm not really sure if…" I trailed off as I felt the blush creeping up my cheeks.

"You can't play baseball can you?"

"Nuh uh." I shook my head.

"It's easy.  All you have to do is hit the ball with a bat."

"Well, I've never hit a ball with a bat before…in fact I've never even picked up a bat, but…" I stopped short before telling him.

"But what?"

"Nothing.  It's nothing."

"Hey," he turned to me and put his hand on my arm.  "You can tell me you know.  But what??" He prodded.

"Well…number 34 on my list is to…uh…well…"

"Well??"

I took a deep breath and let him in on another one of my wishes.  "I want to hit a home run."

I watched as a smile lit up his face and his eyes got a twinkle.  "Well…who wouldn't want to hit a home run?  I've always wanted to hit a grand slam myself."  We listened as the bell rang breaking the spell that had just begun.  "Guess I better be going.  See ya later?"

"Sure."  I practically floated onto the field and checked in with Miss. Fort. 

"Good morning Miss. Fort."

"Morning Jamie.  Not participating today?"

I shook my head 'no.' I watched the rest of the class take their positions, including Belinda and Tracy, as I took a seat on one of the bleachers.  

Opening up my book, I began to thumb through the pages of To Kill A Mockingbird.  

"Because I could never ask you to mind me again. Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one's mine, I guess.  You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will:  you just hold your head high and keep those fists down.  No matter what anybody says to you, don't let 'em get your goat.  Try fighting with your head for a change…it's a good one…"

That passage brought me back to thoughts of the past few days.  _'Landon, you fought for me.  Why?  Can we do this now?  Can we hold our heads high as we walk trough the hallways of school?  Can we ignore the rumors and the pranks?  Will you stand by me Landon?  Will you continue to be my friend even though it may cost you the people you've known your whole life?'_

"HEAD'S UP SULLIVAN!!!"

I moved just in time to avoid the baseball that was coming towards my head and heard the absent, 'sorry' that came from Belinda.

_'Will I be able to **keep** my head?'_  I laughed to myself and thought it a good sign that through all of this…I still had my sense of humor.  _'Humor…'_

I suddenly heard my father's voice as he lectured me about Landon yesterday, "Jamie, this isn't funny.  It's not a game."

"Yes daddy I know that."

"Then get that smile off your face."

"Don't you see daddy?  I can't.  I can't," I sighed.  "Daddy…Landon makes me…happy."  It wasn't very hard to admit it to him, but it was hard for him to hear it, to accept it.  "Daddy," I continued.  "He's my friend and it feels really good to have one of those for a change."

"Jamie you have friends."

"No daddy, I have acquaintances.  There's a big difference between friends and acquaintances."

"Jamie…" he began to argue.  

"Daddy?  When was the last time I had someone over?"

We both looked at each other both of us knowing the answer.  It was Landon during our play rehearsals.

"Do you even remember the last time I said I was going to someone's house, or shopping with someone, or…or…well anything daddy?  When was the last time I was invited to a party or to someone's house?  Don't you see daddy?"

He hung his head lower and lower and I could feel him second-guessing himself and the way he raised me.

"Daddy, it's not that I mind spending time alone.  I really don't, but…well…sometimes it's nice to have someone to study with…to laugh with.  Please try to understand.  I'm not trying to disobey you, I'm just trying to live my life to the fullest."

He looked at me with concern and said, "But Landon Carter?"

"Yes daddy.  Landon Carter."  I put my hand on his and said, "We're just friends dad and I really like having a friend."

_'He's my friend,'_ I sighed.  _'But he wants more Jamie and so do you.'_

##

I looked for him at lunchtime hoping that he would want to join me, but there was no sign of him.  I sat down at my regular table and read some more of my book trying desperately to ignore the snide comments coming from Dean and his group of cohorts.  

"Jamie?"

I lifted my head to see Eddie Zimmerhoff standing above me at the exact moment that Tracy walked by and called me the Virgin Mary.

"Just ignore them, Jamie.  They're idiots."

"I know," I smiled up at him and asked, "Did you need something Eddie?"

"No…I just…well I was wondering…how are you?"

"I'm fine."  I could tell he wasn't buying it so I told him again.  "Seriously.  I'm fine Eddie.  The janitorial staff cleaned up all the flyers so I wouldn't…"

"Who told you the janitorial staff did it?"

"Well I just assumed.  I mean, they do, do all the cleaning around here," I chuckled.

"It was Landon."

"What??"

"Landon.  He came to drama class yesterday and spoke with Miss. Garber and by the time he was done recruiting people…well…let's just say it took us less than an hour to get this whole place cleaned up."

I was dumbfounded.  Shocked.  _'Landon, what did you do?'_

"He's really not that bad of a guy, you know?"

"Yeah…I know."

_'You cleaned the campus for me?  Oh Landon…how will I ever thank you?  Wait a minute.  I know.'_  I smiled as a thought entered my mind.  _'I know exactly how to thank you Landon and I'll do everything in my power to make it happen.'_

##

"Daddy??" I called out before the front door even closed behind me.  "Daddy?  Are you here?"

"I'm in the kitchen!" 

"Hey," I kissed his cheek hello.  "How was your day?"

"Well," he sighed.  "I guess it was…"

Before I lost my nerve I just blurted out what had been on my mind ever since lunch.  "Daddy, Landon asked me out to dinner on Saturday night and I'd like to say yes."

He gulped and nodded his head in agreement before saying, "You need to be home by…"

I screamed and threw myself into his arms.  "You mean it daddy??  You really mean it??  I can go??"

"Yes you can go."

"Oh daddy, thank you.  Thank you."  A thought suddenly hit me, _'what if Landon already made plans for Saturday night?'_  I quickly turned and ran for the phone.

My breath was coming in short little spurts.  _'Please answer.  Please answer.  Please answe…'_

"Hello."

"Hi."

"Jamie?"

"Yes.  How are you?"

"I'm fine…good…great actually.  How about you?"

"I'm okay.  Better than okay."

"Really?" I could hear the smile in his voice as he asked, "and why is that?"

"Well…my father has given me permission to go to dinner with you tomorrow night…I mean if you still want to go."

"Yes…yes.  Of course I still want to take you.  I'd love to take you."

"Good.  I'm glad."  The churning within my stomach was slowing down as we continued to arrange our plans for the following evening.

"So I'll see you at six?"

"Okay."

"Okay," he chuckled into the phone.  "Gosh I'm nervous.  I feel like it's my first date."

"Me too," I giggled.  "I'll see you tomorrow Landon.  Oh…and one more thing," I had to get it out before I hung up the phone.  "Thank you for clearing up the flyers Landon.  See ya tomorrow."  Before he could deny organizing the operation I hung up the phone.  _'Thank you, Landon.  Thank you for everything.'_

##

_'What am I going to wear?  I don't know…oh gosh…I really don't know.'_  I pulled out dress after dress and realized that I truly had only two to choose from if I wanted to wear the sweater he gave me.  _'Yellow sundress or light blue dress?  It's not quite warm enough for a sundress so…blue it is.'_  I ironed it with care and hung it up as I began preparing for my date with Landon.  I pulled my hair back into a clip but left the back hanging down.  I put on a little bit of make-up and then slipped my dress over my bare shoulders.  I pulled the pink sweater he gave me over my arms and slid my feet into my shoes.  My breath caught as I heard the chime of the doorbell followed by an impatient knock.  _'He's here.' _ I took one last look at my reflection in the mirror and wondered briefly if my mother were alive, would she be standing up here offering me bits of feminine advice, but it was Miss. Garber's words that came back to me.  _'Enjoy each other.'_  I was determined to do just that.  I walked down the stairs and heard my father telling Landon my curfew and his, 'yes sir' in reply.  Just a few more feet and he would be in my line of vision.  Little did I know that with those few more steps, my life would never be the same again.


	9. At Last

…And Then…He Kissed Me

By: Jamie Sommers

Email: jamiesommers23@hotmail.com

Rated: PG 13 (for language)

Synopsis:  Jamie Sullivan has been hurt in her efforts to help Landon with the school play and refuses to give him the time of day.  Landon Carter has been doing everything in his power to change her mind.  Will he?

**Dedication:  To all of you fans that wrote and pestered and hollered and cried and praised and laughed and moaned and sighed.  This is for you.  May you feel Jesus near everyday of the year.**

Chapter 9:  At Last

"I still can't believe you asked my father's permission."

"It's no big deal, plus he was cool about it."

_'Cool about it?  My father?  Sure Landon.'_  I looked around at our plush surroundings and I wondered if he was taking me here to impress me.  It looked very costly and I just didn't want him to go into debt simply to feed me a meal.

Upon sitting down we placed an order for beverages with our waiter.  "Sweet tea please?"

"Make that two."

"This restaurant's really nice, are you sure this is okay?" I asked.

"Don't even worry about it, okay?"

"Okay."

"Choose whatever you want.  So…what'll it be?"

I know Landon said not to worry about dinner here, but…the more the waiter talked the more I wanted to leave.  

"…one pound fresh lobster for $27.95, two pound is $32.95…Frutte de Mare…"

'STOP!!!!! No more.  No.  I can't let Landon spend this kind of money on me.  I just can't.'

I waited until our waiter was out of earshot and whispered over the table, "I would've been happy with burgers and fries at the diner downtown."

His hand reached over the table and took mine.  The smile he gave me stopped my heart as he said, "I know that, but I wanted to take you here."

"But Landon…" I began to protest.

"Jamie," he interrupted.  "I wanted to do this for you.  Please…just…" He sighed and said, "Jamie, seriously…don't worry about it.  It's okay.  Let me do this for you okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."  He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles.  

The shock of electricity that went through me was so unexpected, so startling I shook my head in a lame attempt to clear it.   _'Get a hold of yourself Jamie.'_  

"You okay?"

"Huh?"  I sat staring at him, uncertain of what to say or do.  

"I asked if you were okay."

"Oh, um…" he placed my hand back down on the table and picked up his menu.  "Yeah.  I'm fine, just unsure of what to order." We discussed what would be the best choice for me on the menu and then the waiter returned.

I half listened as he placed our orders with the waiter and watched as one of the other waiters walked by with a tray full of delicious looking desserts.  _'Ooooh…is that chocolate cake?  Oh…pie.  I see pie and cheesecake.  What's that thing in the glass?  Mmmm…it all looks so good.  So you'll have some for dessert.  No.  I won't take advantage of Landon's generosity by ordering dessert.'_  Just then the gentleman with the tray walked by our table and I could see what was in the glass.  It was some sort of custardy thing layered with, what I was guessing to be raspberry filling, since it was topped with an abundance of fresh raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream.  My mouth began to water as I looked at the scrumptious concoctions and thought, _'maybe we could share something.  Then it wouldn't be so expensive.'_

"My favorite is the peanut butter pie."

"Huh??"  I could hear him talking but he didn't really get my full attention until the waiter with the tray of desserts left my view.

"I said my favorite is the peanut butter pie."

"Oh."  He had caught me ogling the after dinner delights and I began to blush.  "I'm sorry.  It's just that…"

"Don't be sorry.  I enjoyed watching you."

"Watching me?"

"Your eyes lit up the minute he brought that tray into view.  It was…cute."

"Cute?  My drooling over dessert was cute?"  I began to chuckle and said, "Well wait till you see me demolish one of those chocolate things.  You won't think I'm so cute anymore."

We both laughed and sat back enjoying our surroundings.  We began to speak about little insignificant things such as our favorite food, color, drink, movie.  He had never heard of my favorite movie.  An epic love story set in the middle of WWII starring Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith called Shining Through.  There was a tiny bit of foul language as well as some mild violence, but amidst all of that was a touching love story.  "That these two people could find love and hold onto it through all of that chaos, not to mention the end when he saves her…drags her over the border and then he…"

"Wait!!  Don't tell me!  I just may want to see it someday you know."

"Oh.  Sorry.  I just get caught up in it sometimes.  I've seen it a hundred times at least."

"Sounds like a good movie."

"Oh it is!  It really is.  You'll have to see it sometime. Maybe…" I couldn't believe what I was about to do.  "Maybe you'd like to come over one night and watch it with me?"

"I'd love to…on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You have to come over to my place some night and watch my favorite movie."

"Deal.  Uh…what is your favorite movie?"

"The Terminator.  Talk about a great flick.  There's violence, blood, guts and…well…it's a classic guy film."

The way he described it…I couldn't help but laugh at his animation.  "I wouldn't expect anything less from you Landon."

We continued to talk about movies for a short while, then the topic moved to music.

"So you actually liked that CD I loaned you?"

"Yeah.  It was cool."

'I love the way his mouth moves when he says cool.  Any "ool" noise really.  School, cool, pool…his lips seem to just pucker when he says it and it always comes out sounding "ewl" instead of "ool."  Jamie, you're crazy…insane really.  Yes, I'm beginning to believe that.'

"Now Eric on the other hand… well he started off with some…I don't know.  I can't even describe this music he was playing.  It was…well…"

"_Eric_," I said with a laugh.

"Exactly.  Thank you." He used his fork to point at me before digging into his salad.

'I could listen to you forever Landon.  You may not know it but you have such a love for life.  A passion for living that draws people to you.  You're spirit is contagious Landon.'  

"…you had to see the look on his face.  It was priceless.  Then he says, 'you're really messing with a robot's groove.'  I wish you had seen him.  At the time I really didn't laugh, but now that I think back on it…"

"I guess Eric and I don't have the same taste in music.  **_Who_** would've guessed?"

"Yeah," he laughed.  "Don't like your salad dressing?"

"Huh?"

"Your salad?"

"Oh…no…it's fine.  I was just listening to you."

"Oh.  Well I wasn't sure about the dressing.  I didn't really know what you liked so I told him to put it on the side, but…guess they forgot."

"It's fine Landon."  In order to make him feel better I put some on my fork and lifted it to my lips, "see.  Ooooh…" I put another forkful in my mouth, then another and another still.  "Mmmmm. Difs is gweat…mmmm…" I said with my mouth full. 

"Guess you like it after all," he chuckled and I realized I probably looked like I had never eaten in a restaurant before but I didn't care.  This was the best salad I've ever eaten.  

Our plates were removed and dinner was served.  I sat there and stared at it.

"I'm sorry…I thought you said you wanted the chicken."

"I did…I do.  It's just that…it looks so…pretty.  I just hate to ruin it."

"Well I'm sure the chef won't mind.  Go ahead and try it."

I looked down at the decorative plate and dipped my fork into the culinary work of art.  I hated ruining the presentation, but…well…within minutes I trashed it.  I had never tasted anything so wonderful.  The contradicting flavors…mmmmm.  "Definitely glad we went with the ugly food."

His laughter caused a surge to rush through me like I've never felt before.  My mind was lost in his gaze, his smile, his voice.  _'You're in love with him Jamie.   No. I'm not.  I can't be.'_  I pushed the thought to the side of my mind and continued our conversation.

"So let me ask you.  If you knew then what you know now, and you had the choice, would you have chosen to do the spring play?"

"Nope.  There's no way I would've done the spring play."

"Oh."

"I would've done the fall play my freshman year, and then the winter concert, then the spring play…then my sophomore year I would've…"

"Okay…okay…I get it," I laughed.  

"Jamie," he said softly as he took my hand.  "If I had known how incredible it would be to spend time with you…to get to know you…I would've done it years ago.  I'm talking…Kindergarten at least.  Possibly pre-school…"

"Landon…" I trailed off as the waiter came to bring us fresh beverages.  

With the spell broken he began joking about the play again.  "Now…I'm sure if it were left up to, lets say, someone like…oh…Eddie Zimmerhoff…"

"Oh.  No kidding.  Miss. Garber was so sure that you would be a perfect Tom Thorton, but Eddie…he tried so hard to convince her that you were the wrong choice.  'But Miss. Garber, even Landon says he's naturally bad at it.'  Finally Sally says to him, 'just give it up Eddie.  It's a lost cause.'  I couldn't help but laugh when she said that because not two hours earlier you were at my locker begging me to run lines with you."

"I wasn't begging you."  

'Yeah right Landon.' 

"I wasn't."

"Mmmm hmmm."  I did my best to impersonate him.  "Doesn't Eddie Zimmerhoff deserve the best?"

"Okay…so I was begging you.  **BUT!**  It worked didn't it?"

"Yeah," I could feel the blush creeping up my cheeks.  "It worked."

The waiter came to remove our plates and then…the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived…**DESSERT!**

"Can I interest either of you in something for dessert this evening?" He asked with a knowing grin.

Without a second thought I said, "Peanut butter pie please."

I watched as Landon's eyebrows shot up and looked at me with a questioning glance.  "Well in that case I guess I'll try the…uh…what's that chocolate thing?"  He pointed to the chocolate cake that I was so tempted to try.

"Ahhh, yes.  This is a moist chocolate layered cake filled with a combination of chocolate covered cherries, chocolate mouse and topped with a rich chocolate fudge cream and shaved chocolate."

"Sounds very…chocolaty.  I'll take it."

I devoured my pie and seriously thought about asking Landon if he was going to finish his cake.  All the while I was scraping the remnants of my treat off of my plate I thought_, 'I can see why this is your favorite, Landon,'_ but my lips were too busy to say anything.  I had to get one last bite, one last bit of chocolate.

"Is everything okay?"  The waiter was back to remove our remaining plates.

"Mmmmm.  Mmmmm hmmmm," I said scraping my plate.  "Thank you very much."  

The waiter then gestured towards Landon's barely touched cake and Landon replied with a, "Yeah, go ahead."  

_'So…what's next?'_ I wondered as I looked around the establishment.  We had been listening to the soft music all night and I wondered aloud, "Would you like to dance?"

"Uh…sorry.  I don't dance."

"Me neither, I mean… not usually in front of anybody."  _'Honestly…who does?'_

"Well, no, I mean I… I don't, at all, as… as in… I can't."

"Everybody can dance.  Come on, you can't be that bad." He just sat there looking at me with the most adorable look on his face.  "Please?"  I pleaded, "For me?"

His silent agreement was one I'll never forget.  The way his face transformed from one emotion to another.  I knew that he truly did do this for me, that there was no other reason he was dancing, but for the simple fact that I asked it of him.  

"Oof!"  _'He wasn't kidding about being a bad dancer but still…'_

"Sorry… told you I was bad at this."

"But in all fairness you did warn me right?" _'…it feels so good to be in your arms.'_

"That's right."  I could feel the tension leaving his arms as he relaxed a bit.  "So… what's number one on your list?"

_'Dare I tell him?'_  There's only one person that knows what that is and that was my father.  I wasn't sure if I could share that with Landon yet so I shook my head 'no.'

"Okay… uh… number one on my list is getting out of Beaufort."

"Mmmm… I don't think getting out is gonna be your problem.  It's more like figuring out what you're going to do when you get somewhere."

"What do you mean?"

_'He really doesn't get it does he?'_  "I mean you can do anything."  _'You've got your whole life ahead of you Landon and you…you'll make it count.'_  "Landon?  You okay?"

"Yeah.  I was just thinking…we've got a long night ahead of us and only a few hours to get it all in so…we should probably get going."

"Oh.  You sure you're not just trying to get out of dancing?"

"Nope.  Not at all.  It was my pleasure ruining your shoes this evening Miss. Sullivan."

"Well, the shoes aren't the problem.  It's the toes that are irreplaceable." 

##

"Wow. I'm stuffed."

"Yeah, me too.  It was good though."

"Thank you for dinner Landon.  It was delicious.  I've never eaten in a place like that before."

"No.  It was my pleasure.  I'm just glad you liked it."

"I loved it.  Especially the pie," 

"Well next time I'll just take you to Marie Callendar's for dinner."

"Marie who?"

"Marie Callendar.  It's a restaurant that specializes in pies.  We'll start off with her Peach Tarts as appetizers.  For dinner we can have the Dutch Apple Pie ala mode and for desert…"

"PEANUT BUTTER PIE???"

"Actually I was thinking we'd try the Heath Bar pie, but if you want to stick with peanut butter…"

"NO!  No.  Let's try the heath…Landon?" 

"Yeah."

"Uh…why are we at the school?" _'This is an odd place to take someone on a date.'_

"Oh, well…you'll see."  

"Is there a baseball game tonight?"

"Nope."

"Then why are the lights on?  And why are we here?"

"I told you…you'll see."    He was leading me towards the baseball field and I was getting very confused.  

When we were within viewing distance I noticed someone standing on the pitcher's mound.  _'That looks like Mr. Washington, but why would he be here?'_

"Landon.  I wasn't sure if you were still coming or not." I watched as they shook hands with one another as if they were longtime friends.

"Hey Lou, I'd like you to meet Jamie.  Jamie this is…"

"Hello Mr. Washington.  How's Mrs. Washington doing?" 

"Oh she's doing just fine Miss. Jamie.  And how's your papa?"

"He's fine sir.  Thank you for asking."

"I take it you two know each other."  

"Well yes.  Mrs. Washington used to baby-sit me when I was younger, but…how do you two know each other?"

"Oh…well…uh…"

"We worked together for a bit when Mr. Landon here got sentenced to janitor jail."

"Oh."  I tried not to giggle at Mr. Washington's joke.  I could tell that Landon was slightly embarrassed about his time spent in 'janitor jail.'

"Lou here showed me the ropes on the first day.  So Lou…do you have everything?"

"Yup.  Most certainly do." 

"Great.  Thanks Lou."

"No problem.  Now I'm gonna make myself scarce while you two play a little ball.  If you'll excuse me Miss. Jamie.  Landon." 

I bid him farewell then asked, "Do you always play baseball on your dates?"

"Only if the girl I'm dating has a dream of hitting a home run."

"Oh Landon." I couldn't believe it.  This was probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.  I could feel the tears beginning to well up in my eyes.  

"Now this is supposed to be fun so no getting all…girly on me okay?"

"Okay."  Desperately fighting the urge to cry I grabbed the bat and said, "So what do I do?"

He taught me how to stand and how to grip the bat.  It felt very…heavy.  Heavier than I had expected so when he suggested that I take a few practice swings…well…."Oooof," _' Oh Landon you've got your work cut out for you with me.'_  "Whooops.  Guess that wasn't supposed to happen huh?"

"No," he retrieved the bat and came back to me taking up position directly behind me.  "Let me help you out with that."   I could feel his body pressed up against mine, his arms wrapped around my own and his hands covered mine on the bat.  It reminded me of when I was a little girl and I would stand on my father's feet when we danced.  "Okay…now…uh…now…just…ahem…swing."   

I swung the bat with all my might and by doing so I knocked Landon to the ground.  "Oh Landon! I'm sorry!"

"No.  Don't be," he stood up and dusted his pants off.  "That was great.  Now do it again without me helping." 

"Okay." At first I was sure I would be able to do this, but just in case I went through his instructions aloud.      "Arms up, elbows out, bat just above the shoulder, feet apart, and……… Ooooof!" The bat went flying out of my hands again.  _'Now why on earth did you release that bat Jamie?  Because…'_

 "If you can hit the ball as far as you can throw the bat…hoooey…Mark McGuire watch out," he called out to me before taking up position behind me once again.

In the recesses of my mind I knew what I was doing was…well…not exactly wrong, but it wasn't really right either.  There was no reason other than the blatantly obvious one as to why I was releasing that bat.  I didn't want his arms to leave me so whenever he gave me an opportunity to swing the bat on my own, I'd throw it down the third base line just so I could feel him stand behind me once again in an attempt to teach me how to hold it.  

"You know what the problem is?"

I hoped he hadn't figured out what I was up to so I played stupid.  "Well if I knew that Landon, I wouldn't be throwing the bat now would I?"

"Yeah I guess.  You don't have a shimmy."

"A shimmy?"  _'Okay…now I'm confused.'_

"Yeah…you know.  A shimmy.  All the great ones do.  Here," he took the bat from my hands and stood at home plate in a classic baseball pose.  "You go over there and I'll show you."  With his elbows pointing out, he began to grind his feet into the dirt and wiggle himself.  Twisting and turning until he pulled his arms back and released.  "A shiii…_meeeee_" 

"Mmmkay," I watched him in awe.  Did he know how beautiful he was?  "I think I've got it now."  

"So…you think you're ready to swing at a few?"

"Yup."  It was time to play ball.  "Let's do this."

"All right Jamie, you can do this," I mumbled.    "Arms up, elbows out, head down, and…shimmy."

"Okay.  Here we go."  

I missed the first four but I hit the fifth and Landon said it was 'good for a stand up double.'  I didn't quite believe him, but it sounded good anyway.  We laughed a lot and every now and then I'd throw the bat down the third base line just to watch him strut over and pick it up.  

"You two almost finished up?"  Mr. Washington called out to us from the gate.

"Oh, sure Lou.  We're done here.  Thanks…" 

As he began walking back towards Mr. Washington something inside of me screamed out, "NO!  Not yet Landon.  Please?  Just one more?  Please?"

"Do you mind Lou?"

"Nah.  In fact…why don't you take two Miss. Jamie?" 

"Okay Jamie," I began talking to myself again.  Telling myself that I could do this.  "This is your last chance.  Just concentrate."  I took a deep breath and whispered to myself, "Arms out…elbows up…head down…shimmy and…" I nodded to Landon, telling him silently that I was ready for his pitch.  I saw the ball coming straight down the line, but at the last minute I closed my eyes and began to pray. _'Please God.  Please.'_  I could feel His power in my swing and knew the minute the ball connected with the bat that His spirit was with me.  My hands shook from the vibrations of the bat and I watched as the ball soared into the sky.  

I could hear a faint, "Go fair…go fair…go fair…" and then a louder "No!" when Landon believed my ball wouldn't make it into fair territory.  

_'Have faith Landon.  Have faith.'_  I closed my eyes as the final gust of wind blew and opened them slowly to see my ball being carried over the fence on the right side of the foul post.  "I did it.  I did it!  I DID IT!! **I DID IT!!!**"

I could hear Mr. Washington's cheers behind me and smiled brightly when Landon called out to me with pride, "Run your bases Jamie!  Run your bases."  

I ran as fast as I could to first base and then lifted my face to the sky as I rounded it.  _'Thank You Lord.  Thank You for giving me this gift.'_  I could feel the tears flowing freely down my face as I thought of Landon.  _'You'll never know what it is you've done for me Landon but thank you.  Thank you.'_  Home plate was just up ahead and when I arrived I stomped with both feet onto it screaming out to the night sky, "YES!! Number 34!!!!!"  

"You did it!" he was standing directly in front of me.

"I did it!"  I looked at him and saw pride and joy radiating from his eyes.  "I did it," I whispered as I stepped closer to him and took his hand in my own.  "Thank you Landon.  Thank you."  He stood staring at me, unblinking and lost in thought so I quickly turned and said, "Thank you so much for doing this Mr. Washington.  I don't know how I'll ever thank you…either one of you.  This was just about the greatest moment…" _'No getting girly Jamie.  You promised.'_  "Mr. Washington?  Would you mind if I used the restroom to get cleaned up?"

"Not at all.  Come with me Miss. Jamie. I'll let you in."

"I'll meet you at the car okay?"

"Oh, uh sure." Reaching his hand out towards Mr. Washington he said, "Thanks again Lou.  I really appreciate it."

"No problem Landon.  Anytime."

We walked towards the facilities in silence not saying a word to one another until we got back to the baseball diamond's edge.  "Thanks again Mr. Washington.  I'm not sure how or why Landon got you to do this, but I really appreciate it."

"Well, the **'how'** is simple.  He asked.  Now the **'why'**…that's another story."

"Oh really?"

"That boy there is smitten with you Miss. Jamie.  When he asked me if I could help him out…well it was the look on his face that did it.  I remember when I met my Camille.  It was the church picnic to Dawson's Creek where I first saw her.  She was standing at one of the picnic tables getting ready to take her mamma's place turning the crank on the ice cream maker.  Peach I believe it was or maybe chocolate.  Any how, I saw her standing there looking as beautiful as a summer's day and I fell head over heels in love.  My pappy told me that I had been staring at her like she was the angel of heaven sent to earth to save my soul.  Never really knew what he meant by that until I saw young Landon's face when he asked me to get all this set up for you."

I glanced over at Landon and then back at Mr. Washington as he continued.  "He's a good boy Jamie.  He's just a little confused.  He needs some guidance…direction, and I believe that he's going in the right one by courting you.  That boy need's an angel.  Yep…now that I think about it…it was peach ice cream…"

I smiled and kissed his cheek - saying farewell, "Tell Mrs. Washington I said hello."

"I will.  I will."

"Hey," I walked to the car door where he was waiting.

"Hey.  You ready for the next part of our date?"

"You mean there's more?" 

"Of course there's more.  You didn't think this was it, did you?"

I actually did think that was it.  I mean how do you follow that up?  He made one of my dreams come true and to me there was nothing else in this world that could compare.

We got into his car and started on a drive…a long drive.  We chatted about my homerun along the way and I told him about Mr. And Mrs. Washington.  "After my mom died, my dad wasn't able to care for me on his own, so he hired Mrs. Washington.  She practically raised me until I started going to school, then…it was pretty much just me and my dad." I guess it was evident that discussing this was difficult for me because he immediately changed the topic to a more lighthearted one.

"Boy I couldn't believe it when that ball flew over the fence.  I mean…wow."

"Impressive aren't I?"  I teased.  "Honestly I couldn't believe it myself.  I never in a million years thought I was capable of anything like that."

"Geez, _I'm_ not capable of anything like that.  It was really impressive."

"Well I had a good teacher."

"So…can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What's your number one?"

_'Oh no.  Not that again.'_ "You don't give up very easily do you?"

"Nope.  If I had then I'd be making this drive on my own."

_'Speaking of this drive…'_  "Where are we going anyway?"

"What's your number one?"

"Oooooh…that's blackmail."

"Nope, that's bargaining." 

"Well I'm not gonna tell so you might as well just give in and let me know where we're going?"

"Nope."

"Come on."

"So…how about those Yankees?"

"You're incorrigible, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

"Where are we going?"

"Just hold on… you'll see."  We continued to spar back and forth playfully until he pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road.  He got out and ran around to my side of the car saying, "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, let's go."  Grabbing my hand, he pulled me along.

"Where are we going?"

"Run!"  He stopped dead in his tracks and we stood in the middle of the deserted road. "Okay… uh, stand there."

"All right." _'Seriously Landon…what did they put in your sweet tea?'_

"Put one foot there," he pointed down to the road, "and one foot there." 

"Okay. You're acting like a crazy person, what's going on?"

"Okay, right now, you're straddling the state line."

"Okay…?"  _'Big deal.'_

I watched as he pointed to the sign that said, Welcome to Virginia, and for a moment I thought, _'You drove me to the middle of nowhere just to straddle the state line?'_

Oh…but then he said, "You're in two places at once."

When I found out about my cancer I made up my list of things to do and when I put down 'be in two places at once' my father told me it was impossible.  "No one can be in two places at once Jamie.  That's just not physically possible."  In the back of my mind I knew he was right.  There was no way any human being could physically be in two places at once, but the laws of physics never saw Landon Carter coming.  The one thing that I believed would never happened, was delivered to me on this night made of wishes.  This night filled with dreams.  

I couldn't help myself when I ran into his arms.  "Ahhhhhhh…" he spun me around in a circle and then put me down directly in front of him.  Our foreheads were pressed against one another's as our fingers entwined.  

_'Landon.  Oh Landon.'_  I needed to say his name.  I just needed to hear it.  "Landon," I said hoarsely.  "I don't know what to say…" I wanted to kiss him.  I really wanted him to kiss me but instead I hugged him and whispered against his ear, "Thank you Landon.  Tonight's been the best date I've ever had."

"Jamie," he said softly.  

'Please Landon, kiss me.'  

"I…" he trailed off.

"You?"

"I…uh…" he took a deep breath and stepped back.  "We should be going.  There's still so much to do."

_'So much to do?'_  "So…where to now?"

"Nuh uh.  Not telling." 

After we got into the car a thought occurred to me.  "Landon Rollins Carter!  You're not gonna take me to a tattoo parlor are you?"  I began to laugh at the absurdity of the very thought. 

"No.  Your father would kill me if I did that."  

_'Yes, but a girl can dream can't she?'_

We sat quietly listening to music on the way back into Beaufort.  He picked a station that played music we could both enjoy and we did.  At one point we were both humming along with the song that was playing.  "You have a nice singing voice Landon.  You should join the church choir."

"What?  Me?  No…no…I don't sing."

"Well you didn't dance either, but you seemed to do that just fine."

"Hah.  I stepped on your feet more times than I could count."

"Six."

"What?"

"Six.   You stepped on my feet six times while we were dancing.  Four times within the first ten seconds of the song."

"Oh sheesh…and you want me to sing too?  No way.  Noooooo way."

"Calm down Landon," I laughed.  "If you did decide to join the church choir, we very rarely slow dance so I'm fairly sure my feet will be safe."

"Funny," he deadpanned.  "Very funny."

"I thought so," I giggled.  He held my hand for the rest of our trip and pulled into an empty parking lot by the water.  "Uh…Landon?  Why are we stopping?" I wondered.

"Well there's one more thing I want to check off of your list for you before the night is through."  He leaned over me and reached for something out of the glove compartment but I had no idea what it was.

"Now I know it's not a tattoo parlor, cause like I said, your father would kill me, but…it's pretty darn close."  He held out the assortment of temporary tattoos in front of him and said, "Okay…butterfly, rosebud orrrrrr…star."

They were all so pretty… "You choose."

"Butterfly."  

"Okay," I was hoping he'd choose that one.

He put the others to the side and looked at me cautiously asking, "Soooo…where do you want it?"

_'Hmmm…where do I want it?  My shoulder…or no…my ankle, No…my shoulder.  Definitely my shoulder.'_  "Here."  I pulled my dress down and lifted my hair out of the way pointing to the spot on my shoulder blade that I wanted him to apply it to. 

_'Ahhh, I can't believe this is happening.  Why are you doing this for me Landon?  Do you feel it too?' _ I felt the coolness of the water soaked napkin touch my skin as he began to apply it.  I looked into his smiling eyes and thought, _'Do you know that I'm in love with you?' _ He continued putting pressure on the tattoo with the moist napkin until finally he peeled it off of my skin.  I looked down at it, but I didn't see a butterfly tattoo, I saw yet another dream coming true.  _'Thank you,'_ I smiled.  _'Thank you for everything Landon.'_  He leaned in and at first I was sure he was going to kiss my shoulder, but then I felt his breath as he blew against my skin.  Goosebumps formed on my arms and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.  _'I love you Landon.  I know I shouldn't, but I do.  I do.'_   When he touched me…oh…his fingers ran so lightly across my shoulder, I wanted nothing more than for him to kiss me.  _'Please Landon.  Please kiss me.  Just one kiss.  Please.'_

"You wanna take a walk?"  

_'I'd rather not but…'_ "Yes."

We got out and walked hand in hand down the wooden boardwalk.  "When I was five or six my family used come here and we'd go fishing off the docks.  Sometimes we'd rent a boat and go out for the whole day…" He shared with me a story of his childhood.

"It's beautiful.  Sometimes I wish I had opportunities to do things like that with my parents but…"

"Yeah.  I guess it's hard for you huh? I mean with your mom being gone and all."

"Sometimes, but then other times I think that this is the way God planned it so there must be a reason for it."

"You really believe that don't you?  That God lays out some sort of path or something?"

"Yes, I do."  _'I wish there were some way I could convince you that there is something bigger than both of us out there Landon.  Something more powerful and beautiful than anything on the face of the earth.'_

"Hmmmm…"

"How can you see places like this, have moments like this… and not believe?"

"You're lucky to be so sure."

"It's like the wind, I can't see it… but I feel it."

"What do you feel?"

"I feel wonder and beauty.  Joy.  Love.  I mean… It's the center of everything."

He stood staring at me and finally he said, "I might kiss you."

"I might be bad at it." 

"That's not possible." 

His breath felt warm against my lips. This was something new a different from the first kiss we shared the night of the play. I didn't expect that one, I had no clue, but this one...ahhh...this one was mutual...special. It was our first kiss. Thousands of things go through your mind at that moment, things you normally don't think about. Which way do I tilt my head? Where do I put my hands? Do I still taste like chocolate and peanut butter?  I didn't know what to do when it was over.  I had to look away.  I just couldn't bring myself to face him.  _'Landon,' _I thought.  _'We can't do this.  You don't know… You have no clue…'_

"Jamie," he spoke my name so softly I couldn't help but turn towards him.  "I love you." 

'No!  You can't!  You can't love me!  Jamie what did you do?  How are you… What are you…'

"Now would be the time to say something."

"I told you not to fall in love with me."

'Oh Landon, there's so much you don't know.  I'm so sorry for this.  I never meant for you to love me.  I wanted you to, but… Oh God forgive me please?'

He leaned in and kissed me again.  This one was so brief I barely felt it, then he kissed my forehead and I knew that I wasn't going to put a stop to this.  It was wrong for me to lead him on this way and I knew it, but I couldn't deny these feelings any more than he could.  _'Oh Landon, will you be able to survive this journey I'm taking you on?  Will you leave me when you find out the truth?'_  We leaned our foreheads against one another's and held hands.  "Landon…I'm scared."

"Of what?"

I tried not to cry but the tears just seemed to fall.  _'Of hurting you.  Of letting you go and never feeling this way again.'_

"Jamie, I promise I'll never hurt you.  I'll never leave you.  I love you.  I mean it. I…"

"Shhh…" I put my fingers against his lips in an attempt to hush him, but he kissed them and then took my hand in his.  We just looked into each other's eyes and once again he kissed my head only this time he didn't remove his lips.  He trailed them back and forth, brushed them across my skin from side to side, letting them linger.  His lips were soft and warm against my forehead and I wanted, no…**_needed_**, to feel them against my lips.  _'Kiss me Landon.'_  As if hearing my silent plea he pulled back and looked into my eyes before dipping his head down towards mine.  My heart began to race as he leaned in. I could feel his nose brush up against mine..._'Landon.'_ I closed my eyes and opened my heart..._and then...he kissed me._

The End (I hate those two words L )


End file.
